Bucks Hosts Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at Newtown Campus

Public is invited to watch the historic event outside the new Science Center on Aug. 21; safety glasses and snacks provided.

Bucks County Community College invites the public to a viewing party to watch the total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, at the Newtown campus, with science professors on hand to answer questions.

“In Bucks County, although we are not in path of totality, we will have a partial solar eclipse of about 80 percent coverage,” explained Professor Debra Geoghan, interim dean of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Department, which organized the event. “It will be worthwhile to view, especially since the next total solar eclipse visible in the United States won’t be until April 8, 2024.”

Geoghan says the viewing party on the patio of the Science Center is an opportunity share the experience and provide education to the community. The event is free and open to the public.

“We’ll be providing special glasses to ensure safe viewing, and participants can ask our STEM professors questions.” Geoghan added. “Improper viewing can cause retinal damage, so we want everyone to be safe.” - Glasses will be given out, while supplies last!

The eclipse will begin at 1:21 p.m., peak around 2:44 p.m., and continue until 4 p.m. Snacks will also be provided on the patio outside the new Science Center building on the campus, located at 275 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa.

According to NASA, the total solar eclipse will cross the continental United States from Salem, Oregon to Charleston, South Carolina. The last time a total eclipse crossed the United States from sea to sea was June 8, 1918. To learn more about the solar eclipse, visit http://eclipse2017.NASA.gov.

To learn more about Bucks County Community College’s STEM Department, which offers 17 associate degrees and three certificate programs, visit www.bucks.edu/academics.